Looking at riding mowers.

Depends alot on price range. However, look
for service in your area. If you are
looking at Lowe's or home Depot remember,
they service nothing. Buy your mower from
where it will be serviced. Best service
around these parts is deere. X series of
tractors is great. Stay away from d series
and that new s240.
 
If you can afford it buy a Kubota. I have talked to a few people that owen Kubota and they would never go back to what they used before.
 
Have seen comments on tractor talk that indicate to stay away from anything with a Koler Commander engine, what about any or the other Kolers?Any models of B&S to avoid?
 
I've been around a Dixon ZTR with onan motor and 48" deck. What a great machine, the local dealer will repair it if ever needed with free pickup and delivery. So far after 6 years no problems. Don't buy from the box stores as any repair work they farm out to a real dealer and due to the fact it wasn't bought there, who knows' how long before it's repaired.
 
How much lawn do you have to mow? Less than one acre? Five acres?

What is your budget? $1000.00, $1500.00, $2000.00, $3000.00 or $10,000.00 ????
 
where you at come test drive one. have blue color units red color units orange color units. you do realize that all of then use
the same working components once you flip the seat up. prices 1900. and go from there.let me know if can help
 
I have 2 ZTs and 3 conventional riders. All various brands with various engine makes. I have a couple of things that I consider paramount:

1. Operator comfort: I have modified all in one way or another to ensure a softer ride since my mowing area consists of black clay that just loves to crack open during the mowing
season making for a most uncomfortable ride. If only mowing "estate lawns" this would not be a consideration. Yes I have looked at the upper end red units and declined.

2. Clippings sticking to the deck when wet: Spring time around here means water grass and a lot of times damp soil. My dissatisfaction with the ZTs is that they have hand made,
welded decks that are prone to clogging meaning that every time you use them you have to lift the deck (chain hoist, or other lifting apparatus...have 2) so that you can get the hose
under and see what you are doing. I have only seen one ZT that had a flip up deck which was not a conventional ZT but had an articulated system with the deck out front of the operator
station. Also 3 blades add to mowing problems then and in tall grass.

My favorite mower is a 46" cut conventional with only 2 blades which sweep clippings out much easier and it has a stamped deck which is contoured with nice curved surfaces that aid the
grass exiting. I can mow spring grasses and as of now, almost daily rained on grass with almost no accumulation of soggy clippings and as a result, I have cut 3 times already this year
and have not had to clean out yet.

I have seen some ZTs at big box stores that combine the ZT with a stamped deck (reduces cost obviously) and if I found one with only 2 blades, in 46-48" cutting widths that would be
my next purchase. You are limited to that width and a reason for 3 blades being popular is the front to back distance requiring an extended wheel base would have to be used if the
diameter of the blades were any larger.

On reliability, change the oil and keep it clean works wonders. I use syn. oil and it works very well with my air cooled engines. Changing once per season vs 2-3 times with dino oil
works for me. On wear out parts on the so called "el cheapo" stamped deck, I have yet to tear up a deck or even dent one and I mow parts of my pasture with hoof prints, cracks and all,
tall grasses..... Some of my spindles have zerks and get greased. Others have sealed bearings. I had one spindle fail and it cost about $30 on the www. Considering the difference in
price of a hand welded deck vs stamped, I'll never wear out enough parts to even attempt to justify the difference in cost.

So this is what works for me. You all have your sweet spots and that's your "thing". Above is my "thing" and the reasons why.

Mark

However, On
 
(quoted from post at 04:34:23 04/27/15) Have seen comments on tractor talk that indicate to stay away from anything with a Koler Commander engine, what about any or the other Kolers?Any models of B&S to avoid?
Hi Kohler doesn't build a commander engine there Command engine is one of the best built, what your probably thinking and have heard about is there Courage series engines and that is mostly the single cylinder ones. If you mow less and 2 acres a Husqvanra Sears Craftsman Cub Cadet will do you fine for a LOT less money than a JD or Kubota, that is if you maintain it with regular maintenance an d keep in out of the elements, if you don't none will stand up very well, keep in mind when looking at lawn tractors they all use the same engines trans axles seats wheel etc.
GB in MN
 
They are not cheap but I LOVE my Husqvarna garden tractors. Twin Briggs 21hp with a 46 inch deck. The other is 22hp with a 54 inch deck. They are NOT made by MTD. They are built by American Yard Products. A much tougher duty machine. There are several places on flea bay that sell them for under the retail price. Something like Kentucky and tennesee dealers. Two or three hundred and another was almost 500 under dealer price. Check them out localy and see what a tough machine looks like. By the way. the larger machines can have a fabricated deck. This is not a stamp deck but is actually sheets that are assembled! Very heavy duty!!!
 
I have the 24hp 48" Husqvarna and I am very happy with that mower. It will really get the job done. I also have a sprayer that mounts on the frame of for the baggier. It has a boom that covers 10' and will get under fiances and parked equipment also a wand. It also is faster traveling than any mower I have ever used before. Lots of $$$ for ower and bagger.
Frank
 
American Yard Products uses MTD parts. I have a 20 HP. Briggs & Stratton ,50"deck Yard Pro (AYP) and a Chraftsman 22 HP. Kohler,50" deck Gt model. These two tractors use same parts in steering,tranaxle, muffler, every thing on mowing deck is the same.Parts number are the same on most of the parts. The only differance is engine,hood,steering wheel,dash and gauges.
a190121.jpg

a190122.jpg
 
We have a 10 acre paint ball field with lots of bunkers to mow around plus a regulation speed ball field that has to be cut like lawn,we use a brush hog for the parking lot and other areas.
The main concern on the main fields is to keep the grass low enough to control the tick population,have thought about using a finishing mower on the B414, there too many bunkers to go around.
We are in the Niagara region in sothern Ontario,budget $2 grand.
 
Assuming for the moment that you have 10 acres of grass to cut and that you are running a business, then I would say that your budget of 2 grand is totally unrealistic, especially in southern Ontario.
Essentially, there are two levels of grass cutting equipment available for you. The first type can be found at Lowe's, Home Depot, Canadian Tire and Sears. All of those products are designed for Joe
Average Homeowner who has a one acre or smaller property. He will put perhaps 50 hours of use per year on his lawn tractor. These types of machines will perhaps last 10 years or so until there is a
failure in the hydrostatic trans-axle. The cost of replacing that trans-axle is equal to or more than the current market value of the used tractor, depending up age and overall condition. I have read many
thread written by Cub Cadet, John Deere and owners of similar mowers, complaining about their unit failing in year 5 or 6 or 7.

The second type of equipment used to be the revered garden tractor but today, only a few of those are being built. Ingersoll, John Deere and Simplicity still build true garden tractors. There are a few
wannabe brands that claim their product is a garden tractor but the reality is that they are not. Sears and Dixon come to mind. True garden tractors use Top Tier engines such as the Vanguard from
Briggs & Stratton, Kohler Command Pro, Kawasaki and Honda GX Series. The tractors use much higher quality parts and heavier gauge steel to construct the frames, mower decks and other parts.

Go and look at the SPECIFICATIONS sheet for all of the lawn tractors in the 2 K price bracket and take note of the shipping weight or the actual weight either with or without the deck attached. Then look
up the X500 and X700 Series John Deere GT's and the top models from Simplicity and compare the weights. The LT's rarely come close to 500 LBS but the true garden tractors are 800 LBS and up.

But the true GT's are 3 to 6 times the price of the entry level LT's.

If you are wanting something to just cut grass, then a conventional tractor is not the ideal. Instead, you should be looking at ZTR' or Zero Turn Radius machines because one of those will cut your seat
time by nearly 50 percent. Once again, ZTR's come in Homeowner quality and in Commercial quality and are priced accordingly. There are quite a few brands to choose from in the commercial sector.
Deere and Kubota are both popular with the parks departments of local towns. Take a look at what the Town of Niagara uses. They do a lot of lawn maintenance. Go and talk to the mechanics at their
repair garage if you really want to know what is good and what to stay away from.

Businesses who cut grass for a living will use brands such as Exmark, Bad Boy, Scag, Bobcat or Dixie Chopper.... just to name a few. But you need to get a realistic budget of 8 to 10 grand to buy
something that will last you and not be in need of repair. The old adage .... you get what you pay for...... is never more true than when you are choosing a grass cutting machine. If you buy cheap, you will
regret it.

If you absolutely need a tractor, then I suggest that you look at the sub-CUT segment and there are plenty to choose from. Deere, Kubota, Kioti, Case, New Holland, Massey, Mahindra, Yanmar, Ventrac
and Shibauru.... just to name a few. But these will cost you even more than a commercial ZTR will but you can do much more with one..

It is a mistake to focus on the brand of the engine. You need to look at your property and find the machine that FITS the needs of your property. Someone has to pilot whatever grass cutter you buy and
whether that person is you or it is someone else, there is a time factor involved. Time is money. If you have employees, do you want to pay them for 5 hours to cut the grass or 8 hours? In the growing
season, this might be twice per week. If it is your butt in the seat, isn't there better, more productive ways of spending your time?

Yes...... you can buy used units but....... how many TRUE hours are on them? Businesses routinely sell their machines once they reach a certain number of hours because they know that they got the best
out of those machines and all that lies ahead are expensive repairs and down-time. You cannot make money with junk. Go and visit local dealers who sell commercial equipment. Invite them to see your
property and advise you on which machine will work best for your situation. You live in the Niagara region where there is plenty of agriculture going on so there should be no shortage of dealers. The link
to Duke's is below. He is in Burlington and sells Walker and Exmark. Good luck in your search.
Dukes
 
Im from the Falls, you might want to consider looking on craigslist in buffalo for a good used one, I picked up a kubota TG1860 with a 54" deck and power steering for 1600.00 its in great shape and I love this machine. Im not impressed with new machines at Lowes or Home depot, they all seem cheap to me.
 
The TG1860 has not been made since 2003. Production started in 1998. Therefore, any one of these is at least 12 years old and perhaps 17 years old. Have you ever priced parts for a Kubota? Make sure you are sitting down.
 
I also own a Kubota B6000 from the mid 70's, I buy replacement parts for it all the time, and Im not shocked at all when I need a part. I just rebuilt my engine and prices were not that crazy, a head gasket was only 40.00. rings were like 30.00...
 
jay87t,
I have experience with Kubota too and I have found their parts prices to be exorbitant in many instances. But my comment about parts prices should not be taken out of context. The OP claims he has 10 acres to maintain to a certain standard because it is used as a paintball field. I am assuming that he is running a business and that his business calls for his open areas of grass to be kept to a certain height to discourage ticks. Ticks can create annoying medical problems and if someone wishes to stay in business, then you cannot allow your property to be infested with ticks. He needs a reliable machine that can be used up to three times each week to mow the 10 acres. Buying some 12 year old used tractor with a small deck is not a smart move no matter what brand it is.

When a business owners fails to keep their premises in tip-top shape, customers stop coming. They go elsewhere to spend their hard-earned dollars and that is how many businesses end up in bankruptcy. So you can defend your Kubota all you want but it will not change the fact that it is 12 to 17 years old and you cannot trust what it says on an hour meter. What is needed here is a ZTR with a 72 inch mower deck, fresh from the dealer.
 

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